Gulf Air announces boutique business model
Loss-making carrier says model will give it ‘competitive advantage’
Dubai: Gulf Air, the loss-making Bahrain-based carrier, announced on Sunday a “boutique business model” as part of its business plans for 2019 and as it aims to turn around its fortunes.
The airline said the new business model will “reinforce its focus on product and customer experience,” and will see it launch new destinations this year and new offerings in its Gold Class cabins.
“As already done in the hospitality industry, Gulf Air will differentiate itself as a boutique airline that is different and unique in the way it operates, comparing to the bigger airlines that are more volume-driven,” the carrier said in a statement.
Boutique airlines around the world include Singapore Airlines, Finnair, Malaysia Airlines, and Cathay Pacific, among others, but there are none based in the Gulf region.
Such airlines are generally not the biggest, and they focus on service in favour of route network.
Gulf Air said the new business model will give it a competitive advantage that will translate in its new fleet. It added that it aims “grow strategically in size and expand to more boutique destinations in 2019.” It did not specify how it plans to change its services or operations to fit the business model.